Some temptations are just to good to pass up. My curiosity got the best of me the other day and I gave in by watching one of those “End of the World” conspiracies videos. This time around the date is set for July 29, 2016. So in three days the biblical prophecies will come true and we will be swallowed up by hell fire while the others who are “saved” will rejoice in the heavens.

I’d have more faith if this wasn’t the sixth time I heard this scenario play out. No matter how many nut balls religious extreme evangelicals say its gonna happen doesn’t mean it will. In 2000 Y2K was supposed to bring on the end of all electronics thrusting us back before the industrial revolution. Nothing happened. Later the big worry was over 2012 and the Mayan calendar predictions that seemed to indicate the end of the world. Nothing happened.

Harold Camping and a few other preachers around the world have made their own predictions about the last day on earth before asteroids hit and volcanoes erupt, and earthquakes tremble. He made the accusations back in 2011, twice in the same year. Another one, Chris Mccann from Pennsylvania says Oct. 2015 was the deadline for our destruction.

With all this talk about ending the world. I ask myself why is the idea that not only our society will end so emphasized almost to the extent of endorsement by Christians and other religions. It’s almost as to say, “See I told you so!!!” This to me is no reason for celebration. There are verses in the Bible that state some will enter salvation, but no one knows who they are until the end starts happening. Sooo with that in mind is this something you really want to believe in and bring on?

They say the best way to get over a relationship is by getting into a new one, or maybe getting under somebody new. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. The thing to realize with that logic is after those warm cuddly nights with a stranger, you find out nothing with you has changed. Those old scars never had a chance to heal and move on. Newscasts I feel are the same way. The news today has become a 24 hour circinate of opinions, distorted facts and panels who decides for the American people, why, how, and what to think about.

The most glaring observation in my mind at this moment is this ever closing in on us race war, that CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and other stations are baiting us into. Race as always been a touchy subject in this country, largely due to an overall avoidance of talking about the roots causes of it in America. The news pundits will happily talk about black on black crime and point the finger as to say. “See, look the numbers prove it! “Black people you can’t live in denial all the time.” While black on black crime is a plague on black communities, you can’t hold a mirror up unless it’s a two-way one.

The US Department of Justice declared that in 2011 white on white crime was at a staggering 84%. In 2013, crimes committed by whites such as vandalism, larceny-theft, aggravated assault and weapons carrying were higher than any other group. There is more to the stats, but I’m really not here to drag out all the numbers. My point is why isn’t this brought to mainstream media and put into the cycle of news and topics of conversation. My hunch is that, because race will be taken off the table, it becomes something that gets swept under the rug.

Another divide and conquer tactic the news stations uses to add to is agenda is airtime. According to MediaQuant a firm that tracks media coverage of candidates and gives a dollar value based on advertising rates. In their analysis Donald Trump has gotten almost $2 billion dollars worth of free media attention. He more than doubled what Hillary Clinton got with $746 million in the same time frame.

Just by those numbers alone, it doesn’t seem to be providence that Trump is the Republican nominee. It seems more engineered and manufactured through a mechanical allusion that was pre-planned. At the same time, news networks made Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric synonymous with his rise in the polls. They somehow grossly neglected that fact that they became avaricious and fed the beastly orange tint monster camera time so they can maintain their parasitical consanguinity.

Hillary Clinton as well has made her own magic these last couple of months. The road in front of her seems clear. With the email scandal behind her and Bernie Sanders, once her biggest blockade to the nomination on her side, things have turned around. There are however some people crying foul. Whether they are bitter Sanders followers who can’t stand the sight of Hillary to win the presidency or not. One such reason, whispers are circulating is that there are doubts Hillary won her races far and square.

There have been claims of fraud in states like Iowa, California and Arizona saying that Bernie Sanders won those states by the popular and delegate count. Even though the issue was brought once on Bernie campaign trail, it never gained traction and lied dead in the water allowing Clinton to focus on her email scandal.

As someone who looks for different perspective on the issues. Beware, personal agendas are usually the fuel that motivates pundits and the rest of the talking heads. It’s good to have your ideas challenged, but way too often these shows will have an unbalanced panel that too often shows unwavering support for the views of the host. Although studies have shown that we usually follow personalities and judgments that we already have. It doesn’t hurt to see the other sides argument.

Part of the reason this country remains so divided is that instead of just displaying the facts. Now we have tv shows, news broadcasts showing their own slanted points of view. Whether it’s liberal or conservative they can offer a broader discussion, but too often most of them huddle in their corners and look for counter arguments instead of truth. If facts matter then they should speak for themselves and not the speaker formulating them into his contorted narrative.

The student can never be better than the teacher. Words I remember from my childhood. Those words echoed in my brain a valuable lesson of not trying to reach beyond my boundaries. There is another saying though, that power corrupts and it is my belief that the ultimate corruption is not the bending and twisting of rules and laws to become a beneficiary of those perversions.

The most extreme case of valorousness and sheer gull is when men try to achieve divine status while still a mortal being on earth. David Koresh was one of this beings who believed he was actually a prophet whose destiny would be fathering the “Chosen One”. While he was born Vernon Howell, he changed his name to David Koresh in which he claimed direct lineage to King David and the Persian King Cyrus the Great. He became his own self-proclaimed messianic figure.

David Koresh is just one of many figures in our history that wanted to be more than human so they turned themselves into their own conceptualized divine incarnate. Jim Jones, Charles Manson, Marshall Applewhite and a host of others have all claimed to be Jesus or a religious prophet. From early in our history we have voiced a special bond with whatever being we thought created the universe and ourselves. Perhaps the most famous example of this bond is the Apotheosis of George Washington. The painting can be seen in the US Capitol building in which it depicts Washington becoming a God and sitting on a throne among of Roman Gods like Minerva, Columbia and Neptune.

Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs also claimed a special connection between God and themselves. They would claim God gave them birth rights ordinary men and women did not have. The Romans and Greeks were no different. The burden of proof was rarely questioned in times of prosperity and wealth. What I believe gave them immeasurable malice and confidence is that God in their eyes looked and behaved just like them.There are several examples of God becoming angry in the Bible. Kings 11:9 God becomes angry with Solomon, Exodus 4:14 God becomes angry at Moses, and Balaam.

We even refer to God in gender specific terms. He, Him, His are always the terms we use to externalize God. We humanize God and in turn subconsciously make it possible to ascend to divinity ourselves. Our belief is arrogance and ego driven at best. We can’t become God simultaneously while trying to trace the steps of creation. Instead of trying to understand we want to conquer. We’d rather rule over the world than merely participate in the fabric of its ecosystem.

The reason mankind wants to rule over the universe is because that is the example we perceive to be followed. Since God rules the universe we must in turn rule the space in which we exist. Not every culture believed that space and time has a supervisor. In ancient African cultures the reality is that God is in everything and everything in the world, good, evil and all in between represents God in its self. In other words God isn’t the overseer of the universe, they are one and the same.

It seems that every four years Americans are faced with a choice that often leaves us with a bad taste in our mouths. We elect and vote for choices based on the best available candidates, we hope. When it comes time to vote, we somehow also fall for the rhetoric that our very way of life is threatened if the other guy wins and the only way to ensure our preservation is to cast our ballot in favor of “our” guy.

This election is no different, but now we have a woman.After reviewing all of them I’m not so sure the American people benefit with anyone.

Bernie Sanders- Bernie Sanders is a crowd favorite. He brings an authenticity with him that connects with his constituents and his supporters. His track record on civil rights and the rights of minorities is impenetrable. He has energized a whole young population that feels disenfranchised and disengaged from the whole political landscape that their parents live in.

He wants to regulate the banks and get big money out of politics. He also has accomplished a feat never done before. He has wedge into the democratic system that the term socialist is not an evil word and changed the course of campaigning forever. He has answered the call for millions of people who hate the “business as usual” mechanics of politics that often leave minorities in the cold.

The issues aren’t with Bernie’s message it’s that if he were to become president, how effective can he be to make that changes his campaign ran on. Americans are fearful of the term socialist and congress is not just gonna grovel at his feet just cause the people want change. Back in 2008, when Obama became president there was a feeling of real, radical change was going to happen and shifts in policy and laws were going to be enacted that would help African-Americans and other poor groups. After months of fine dining us, Americans were finding out Obama had trouble paying the bill for the meal he ordered and well, we got stuck doing some dishes. I feel this will play out the same way with Bernie.

His supporters aren’t looking for another compromise or a back alley deal that meets in the middle. They want real change for that to happen, Sanders pinned himself in an unwavering position. Sanders records on gun control is murky at best because he against a five-day waiting period for background checks in 1993, but also voted against selling of automatic weapons. He also is another war mongering leader in the making who voted for wars in Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. Even Clinton has taken a lot of heat for the 1994 Crime Bill, but Sanders has somehow been able his vote through undetected.

When asked about it, he gives an explanation that is acceptable to his supporters, but others like myself puzzled. In their eyes he can do no wrong. So my question is this. If Sanders is so civil rights, then why did he vote for the Crime Bill knowing the repercussions it would have on generations of African-Americans. Also, don’t the victims of bombings and attacks in Middle Eastern countries by our military deserve rights, our are black and brown rights only relevant on our soil?

Hillary Clinton-Clinton has the chance to make history in this race and that has come at a cost. Her character, voting records, previous comments and experience has all come into question. While Clinton has the drive and fortitude of her male counterparts, has an edge in foreign policy, that her opponents on the right and left do not have. Through her Apprentice Tax Credit that can help millions of Americans. Gun Control advocates back her and she has one of the best presidents of our generation to call on in a moments notice living in the same home, her husband and former president Bill Clinton.

Clinton has faced numerous amounts of attacks that only seemed to be fueled by sexism, ageist and relentlessness by the GOP. With every report about her, whether it’s Benghazi or the current email scandal her opponents find simple-minded attacks to weaken her resolve. She’s been the most scrutinized and politicized figure in this race. Sanders hammers her on her cozy relationship with banks and big budget corporations. While Trump seems to have label her as crooked and makes over inflated statements about her emails, that most Americans just want to move on from.

Hillary’s biggest problem throughout all this has been herself. Three years ago she was the most likable candidate assuming she was going to run at the time. Now her poll numbers show a problem that has become an anchor in her sailboat. Frankly, a lot of voters don’t like or trust her. GOP has a small victory in their corner,but Sanders and his supporters don’t buy into her talk of tough politics against bankers and lobbyists. She also played her hand too late on issues such as immigration, abortion, Keystone Pipeline and others.

This makes her look too indecisive and that someone else is feeding her what to say and how to say it. This is troubling to Americans who want a president who will walk into the situation room or summit with world leaders and give a clear-cut answer at a moments notice when the time comes. Other missteps have been her pandering to the African-American community which she has been called out on numerous times.

Hillary’s biggest challenge won’t be winning the nomination,but concentrating her energy towards Bernie’s supporters without pivoting too far away from her central message that got her base initially. Some Bernie supporters have already vowed to either vote for Trump or not at all if Hillary wins.

Donald Trump- Donald Trump has been the most controversial outspoken candidate of this generation. He has insulted Latinos, Muslims, Women, the disabled, captured war heroes and other groups as well. His racially divisive and hurtful attacks pierce right into the heart of the issue that seems to be the unspoken case of racial disparity and underlining bigotry in our so-called progressive country.

Trump has effectively collected the population of those who feel marginalized, by the growing threat of losing the country their ancestors gained. Trump supporters are overwhelmingly white and mostly males. When his supporters speak of him, their most likely to say how much of a great speaker he is and how he tells it like it is.

They also like the fact that Trump doesn’t have to gravel at the feet of those lobbyists and campaign donors that the other candidate did. He funded most of the campaign himself and his supporters as well. He has a tax plan proposal that would exempt single filers making $25,000 and under from paying taxes.

His biggest win in his campaign has been drawing in the GOP with a gravitational like pull towards himself. Most candidates usually make statements to parallel the GOP brand and narrative already in play. Trump has disregarded the verbal talking points of conservatism and has made inflammatory remarks, one after the other. Even with Governors, Speaker of the House and rivals calling him out on his statements, they all are united in voting for him. That’s much like your uncle saying how much he hates gay people and proposing legislation against them, but the family has to keep putting up with him, because he’s grannies favorite.

What works against Trump has been Trump himself. Unlike Clinton, who’s pandering hurt her to be a favorite among undecided voters, Trump has alienated a base of supporters that the GOP has desperately been trying to obtain that the democrats has had a strong hold on…minorities. His constant remarks about building a wall to keep Mexicans out and increasing security against immigrant Muslims has turned him into apotheosis of angry racist white hatred. He’s a fan favorite among white supremacists and shows no signs of slowing down his tone. He recently made statements about a federal judge who is of Mexican background that again pinned him down to be racist and bigoted.

In addition to Trump inciting racism, he also is a compulsive liar with a bad temperament. He has countless sound bits that has been fact checked and found out to be downright lies.

When you go and vote on these candidate be informed about them, but just don’t vote on your emotions learn about the candidate.

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